Fence-stay



(N0 Model.)

A, F. REISTE. FENCE STAY,

' No. 554,005. Patentedeb. 4, 1896.

v liff-r7.1

*N DREW ELHAHAM. PHOTG-LFTHO-WASNINFI'UN. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFEICE.

Anos E. REIsTE, on PANTHER, IowA.

FENCE-STAY.

SPECIFICATION formngp'art of Letters Patent No. 554,005, dated February 4, 1896.

Application tiled August 31, 1895. Serial No. 561,145. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos F. REISTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Panther, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Fence-Stay, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates .to wire-fence stays, and particularly to improvedmeans of looping the same, whereby a stay is produced which is simple, strong, flexible, light, readily adjusted and which does not interfere with the independent adjustment or removal of the fence-runners and which at the same time produces an elastic, durable and superior fence.

Vith these and other objects in view my invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter set forth and more definitely pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a section of fence, showing my improvement. Fig.` 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1, showing two links joined together. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of one of the links before coupling. Fig. 4 is a similar detail after coupling; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of Fig. 4, taken above the coupled hook and eye.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like parts are designated by like numerals throughout, l designates my improved link, which is formed of one piece of wire, preferably spring-wire, and is of a length to correspond to the distance between adjacent linewires or runners forming the fence. This link 1 is formed by bending an eye 2 lengthwise of the wire and at one end thereof and a hook 3 also lengthwise of said wire and at the other end thereof. Said ends are then bent over on the straight side or back portion 4 `of the wire parallel thereto and so as to overlap each other midway the length of said link, the respective loop ends 5 of said link being pinched together to form a neat eompact link. Eye 2 lies in a plane transverse to the plane of the link and in a position to receive hook 3, which is bent down sharply at right angles at G and is adapted to be normally sprung away from and to extend through eye 2, so as to lap over the outer end 7 thereof in line with and across back wire 4. To complete the operative link, all that now remains to be done is to spring said hook 3 over the back wire 4. This is all that is desirable in a transient fence, the spring or snap action of the parts holding the hook in place. These links are applied to form a complete stay as follows: O ne of the free ends of a link, preferably the eye end, is forced through between the twisted top runner or cap-wire 8, and the other end of the link is bent around the next lower runner 9. The hook 3 is then inserted through eye 2 and sprung over back wire 4. A second link is similarly placed over runner 9, passing at the same time through loop of the top link, and the lower end of said second link embracing the next lower runner l0. Successive links are similarly placed, each embracing two runners and being also threaded through the loop end of the preceding link, until all the runners of the fence are linked together. The bottom link is forced between the twisted strands of the bottom runner or base-wire of the fence the same as the top link was fastened.

The object and advantage of thus fastening the two end links of the stay between twisted strands of a cable-wire (or any other variety equivalent for the purpose) and leaving the intermediate links of the stay loose on the intermediate wires are to prevent longitudinal movement of the stay relative to the fence, keeping the stay in true vertical alignment, while at the same time allowing great flexibility in yielding to vertical and side thrusts. Thus if a blow is received by .any link that link does not withstand the entire shock, but it yields, transmitting the strain to all links of the stay as well as to the runner-wires. Likewise, if a vertical blow is received all the links and wires above the point of impact sustain the shock, while the links below simply telescope within each other and do not bend or strain themselves or the lower runners. Moreover, the peculiar form of my links reduces the strain at any one point of a link, so that lighter wire may be used and greater strength and durability are attained. The sharp bend 6 and hook 3 distribute the tensile strain throughout every part of the link.

By the use of these improved stays fewer IOO posts may be used inY `fence-building than is at present the custom, for the reason that the stays distribute the strains and loads over all the runners or fence-Wires, so that no one Wire receives the strain, as formerly. The number of stays necessary to be employed depends largely upon the special use and circumstances.

These stays are readily removable for purposes of repair. All that is necessary is to press hook 3 down free from back wire et, spring it forward slightly, and then press eye 2 down thus releasing the hook entirely and leaving the link free to be bent back out of engagement with the stay and fence. The eye 2 needs to be of a size sufficient only to allow hook 3 to pass therethrough. These links also allow of the ready removal and replacement of any fence-wire without disturbing the others.

My improved links are exceedingly simple in construction, and the fence constructed with them is so simple that no tool or machine is needed in the fieldother than a pair of ordinary pliers.

Various changes in form, proportion, and the minor details oi construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is In a wire fence, the combination with th line-wires or runners, of a stay, consisting of a plurality of telescoping wire links looped together at their ends and receiving between their looped ends the line-wires or runners, each of said links consisting of a single length of wire bent to form a continuous straight side, and separate terminal portions normally sprung away from said straight side, one of said terminal portions being provided at its extremity with an enlarged eye and the other of said terminal portions being provided at its extremity with a right-angularlybent arm having an. open hook adapted to be pressed through said eye and detachably sprung into engagement with the straight side of the link midway of the looped ends thereof7 substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim. the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixed my signaturein the presence of twowitnesscs.

AMOS F. R'EISTE. lVitnesses:

l-I. E. BOYD, W. NoURsn. 

